At the hearing Mangione's lawyer told a judge that he would be opposing extradition to New York to face murder charges
The man accused of killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive Brian Thompson tussled with police and shouted at reporters as he arrived for a court appearance on Tuesday.
Luigi Mangione was escorted out of a police car in handcuffs, and was shoved inside the building as he shouted to reporters “an insult to the intelligence of the American people”.
The 26-year-old has been charged with one count of murder and four related gun charges, according to court records.
It comes after he was arrested at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania on Monday after being was spotted by an employee.
At the hearing Mangione’s lawyer, Thomas Dickey, told a judge that he would be opposing extradition to New York to face murder charges.
He was also denied bail at the brief hearing and has 14 days to challenge the decision.
This still image from surveillance video obtained by the Associated Press shows the suspect, left, sought in the the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, center, outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo)
A still image from a surveillance video shows a hooded man shooting Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference (Photo: AP)
The judge permitted prosecutors 30 days to received a warrant from Kathy Hochul, the New York governor, to secure his extradition
Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead during the hearing.
He occasionally consulting papers, rocked in his chair, or looked back at the gallery.
At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was told to be quiet by his lawyer.
His defence lawyer questioned whether the second-degree murder charge filed in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law, but prosecutors raised concerns about both public safety and Mangione being a potential flight risk, and the judge denied it.
Mangione was found with a “ghost gun” – a firearm assembled from parts, making it untraceable – and a silencer consistent with the weapon used to shoot Thompson, New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
The weapon may have been produced using a 3D printer, said Joseph Kenny, the NYPD’s chief of detectives.
He was also found with clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the killer.
Mangione was sitting at a table in the rear of the McDonald’s wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop computer, court documents said.
When an officer asked if he had been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake”.